


Crystal Gem Reunion

by wisepuma23



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cluster - Freeform, Gen, new home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 19:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8026060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisepuma23/pseuds/wisepuma23
Summary: It's time. Yellow Diamond can't delay it any longer and she has to go back to Homeworld. Steven had offered himself up to her a year ago in exchange that the Cluster be shutdown. Steven will be brought along with her back home but she has given Steven one last chance to say goodbye to the Crystal Gems.Set in the far future of 'New Home' comic.





	Crystal Gem Reunion

Steven walked into Yellow Diamond’s room, the doors closing behind him with a hiss. Peridot stepped closer to him immediately after she took one look at Yellow Diamond’s face. Steven felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his neck. He hadn’t seen her this…. _concerned,_ before. She was rubbing a knuckle into her brow as she read over the holographic screen of reports. Whatever Steven and Peridot were called here for, on official notice, couldn’t be good. 

“Yes, my Diamond?” Peridot asked as she saluted, “What is it?”

“I’m shutting down the Cluster for good.” Yellow Diamond said as she stood from her seat, “I can’t delay the inevitable.”

Steven’s eyes turned to stars, “What, really! That’s great!”

“And I’m taking Steven back to Homeworld.”

The room was silent for several moments before a shout rang out, “You can’t do that! He would be killed! Executed, even! You _know_ the Diamonds will not even do it quietly, they might even do it in front of the entire Empire!”

Yellow Diamond turned and glared.

“M-my Diamond…” Peridot finished with a stutter and did another salute.

Steven clutched at his shirt and walked forward to her, “Would that really happen? I’ll….die when I go to Homeworld?”

Yellow Diamond sighed and leaned down until she rested on one knee, “No. But I’ve been cataloguing your unique abilities this past year or so. Ever since Pink Diamond was shattered, I’ve been making plans to overthrow the Authority. And I believe you are the key to doing it,” she put her hands on Steven’s shoulders, “Steven, your very existence is a threat to the Authority and because of your gem, you are an automatic shatter on sight in at least two hundred galaxies. In order for you to live in peace, you will have to come to Homeworld.”

“But you said I’ll die, not live in peace.” Steven said as he looked up into her eyes, not as respectful as any subordinate gem would do but defiant and stubborn. 

“No, you won’t.” Yellow Diamond said with a mysterious smile as she stood back up again, “Everything is in place and the last thing I need to shut down the Cluster is on the Moon. The Crystal Gems will meet us there so I can inform them that the Cluster will no longer be a threat and Steven will return to Homeworld.”

Yellow Diamond walked over to a section of the floor lightly colored than the rest of it and beckoned Steven closer. 

“Us?” Peridot asked as she clutched onto Steven’s arm, “What do you mean?”

“Steven, do you want to see the Crystal Gems again?” Yellow Diamond asked as she held out a hand, palm up in invitation. 

Steven’s eyes turned to stars and laughed. He ran over to Yellow Diamond and hugged her tightly around the legs. Her hand faltered and then rested on Steven’s back to return the hug. Steven looked up at her and found her staring down at him but then looked away. He pursued his brows in thought and then leaned his head onto her legs with a frown.

“Why?” Steven said, he knew her far too well for this to just be something nice, “Why am I coming with you?”

“The Crystal Gems won’t react….favorably with the news that you are coming with me despite they knew it will happen for a year.”

Steven looked back up at her with tears welling in his eyes, “I’m a hostage then! So they won’t do anything while I’m there, I’m your emotional blackmail, aren’t I?”

Yellow Diamond nodded, “Yes, Steven. Consider the pros against the cons, you will be able to see them again. Possibly for the last time. They will never be able to warp further than Earth’s moon nor have the technology to fly away for the next three centuries at the rate that humanity is going. And we cannot bring them with us because they are _known_ Rose Quartz affiliates and the gems on this ship would rather shatter them instantly than share the same breath as them.”

Steven rubbed at his eyes and tried his very best not to cry, “Oh. I just thought…..”

“We weren’t going to stay here forever, Steven.” Yellow Diamond said softly, “All things shall pass, mountains crumble, empires turn to dust, and even the Authority will die someday. And so, your time on Earth has come to end.”

“.....Okay, all right.” Steven said quietly, “I did say I was going to go with you.”

Yellow Diamond looked Steven up and down and poked at his yellow star, “And we’ll have to do something about this. I’m not sure why the other gems haven’t caught on to this star thing and connected the dots. But I’ll fix it immediately. Homeworld gems are far more observant and paranoid.”

Steven pulled his shirt down to look at it and sighed, “Ok.”

Peridot tutted and cleared her throat, “May I suggest something?”

The two of them turned to see Peridot trying to keep a straight face but utterly failing, “Yes, Peridot?” Yellow Diamond said.

“Humans require eight hugs a day to live, correct?” Peridot said as she walked over to them.

Yellow Diamond pouted, a fact that still haunted her, “Yes, you’ve told me _numerous_ times.”

“This meeting will be a very trying time for Steven and so _adjustments_ will have to be made.” Peridot said smirking with a quiet hehehe.

“Adjustments?” Yellow Diamond asked with an eyebrow raise. Peridot’s grin got bigger and her hehehes got louder. Suddenly it dawned on Steven what Peridot meant. He started to giggle too and looked up at Yellow Diamond with stars. She looked between the two of them and suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

+++

The Crystal Gems turned as the warp pad lit up with a blue light. All of them tensed at Yellow Diamond’s imposing stature. They knew she was tall but not _this_ tall. Garnet was first to spot Steven being cradled in Yellow Diamond’s arms, his head resting in the crook of her head and his arms splayed across her collarbone. Too short to go around her neck, really. Pearl made a strangled gasp as Amethyst summoned her whips on instinct. Garnet’s jaw clicked audibly and her knuckles cracked but she didn’t summon her gauntlets. 

Steven blinked down at them and then dug his face further into her collarbone, it was hard to see them and not burst into tears. Yellow Diamond told him just shortly before warping over that there were some conditions to this visit. He had to stay silent, no matter what, if he wanted the Cluster to be disabled. If he _had_ to talk, then he was to whisper it into Yellow Diamond’s ear, and it had to be important. And to stay close as possible. That was it.

Steven turned his body until his whole front rested on Yellow Diamond’s collarbone. He didn’t want them to see his new shirt. She was true to her word and had fixed it. Steven had rekindled some of his fading hate for her since she had changed the shirt just before this visit. She had no inclination to do so in the past but now? Of all times? It was just downright cruel.

Steven sighed and let the anger knotted behind his heart loosen. There was no point. Steven glanced down at the big white diamond on his pink shirt. Yellow Diamond was right, going to Homeworld was inevitable. At least, she explained that he doesn’t really belong to White Diamond. But it was a subtle way to get into her good graces. He wasn’t sure what exactly Yellow Diamond was planning but he had a feeling he was going to do something. And it spelled something bad.

“Yellow Diamond.” Garnet hissed through grit teeth, her best attempt at cordiality. 

She glanced down at the three of them and walked off the pad without saying anything. She made her way to the stairs and towards the Diamond Control Room upstairs, brushing them off completely. Every inch of the matriarch she was supposed to be. Steven felt a little proud of her, he knew it wasn’t easy for her.

Steven peeked over her shoulder and stared his former family with wide, curious eyes. Amethyst still dragged her whips behind her but she forced a smile when they met eyes. Pearl had summoned her spear while he wasn’t looking, herself shaking like a leaf in the wind. Pearl gave a watery smile but no tears fell. Steven finally looked at Garnet, stoic and calm as he knew her in his memories. She hadn’t summoned her gauntlets. Steven wondered what she saw in his future, it might be good if Garnet felt she didn’t need them. 

It was great to see them again.

Steven drunk in their image like a man in the desert for water. He pressed it deep into his lids, hoping it would be etched there forever. Amethyst’s purple skin was lighter than the other Amethysts on the ship, and Jasper was right. She did look too short and her shoulders too skinny unlike the normal broad ones. But she was perfect. She ate messily and always played the drums for him. She didn’t ask to be made either, like him. Now there would be no more day trips to wherever their hearts desired and play until they dropped.

Pearl, worry wart Pearl. She cleaned his shirts and made meals that was even better than restaurants could ever make. Steven remembered her obsession with order and chuckled to himself in his mind. Pearl stood up to the Authority and won. Order, what order? Steven couldn’t imagine what she was feeling right now. She had lost Rose Quartz and now him to the very thing she fought against for thousands of years. Granted, Pearl doesn’t know Yellow Diamond plans to overthrow it from within. He was going to miss her fussing over his outfits and hair, it showed that she cared. A whole lot.

Garnet was a puzzle. She always have been and likely forever. Steven had to admire Ruby and Sapphire’s commitment to stay together in what had to be the hardest thing they were going through. Steven wondered idly if they would unfuse the moment after he leaves. Garnet taught him wisdom and thinking things through and so much more. She was never one for tales of glory like Pearl or nonchalant bits of lessons learned from her own experiences like Amethyst. Steven remembered the shine of her visor in the sunlight as she smiled and her hugs that were too tight but yet comforting. No more. Steven turned his head to look at Yellow Diamond in profile, her hugs weren’t so tight but they were warmer and softer. Maybe her hugs would outnumber Garnet’s someday. 

Yellow Diamond sat down into the large Diamond chair and set Steven on her lap. Steven giggled and made to rest his hands on the desk but she tutted and set them down. He pouted but did try to stay on his best behavior. The Crystal Gems stood by the chair, watching the large screen in front of them for anything suspicious. 

Yellow Diamond put her hands deep into the interface, her eyes turning to complete white, and the screen flickered and turned yellow. Steven watched in quiet amazement as strange numbers ran across the screen and he could see some turned red before disappearing. On another screen, he could see a perfect circle with spikes. Was that the Cluster? The circle pulsed like a heartbeat. Steven felt his smile fade away as he remembered Peridot telling him it was composed completely of both Crystal and Homeworld gems shattered beyond all saving. It was larger than imagining and his spine crawled at the thought of what those Gems had gone through in those last moments before shatter. Steven turned away and watched the running numbers again, but this time they were doing twirls and sharp turns around the screen.

They finally stopped in the shape of a yellow diamond. Yellow Diamond’s own gem started to glow and then pulsed out and the screen turned back to its normal blue. Steven glanced at the Cluster icon and saw it crack into dust and blew away into nothing. The screen blinked green and then shut itself off. The main screen still stayed on but Yellow Diamond scrolled through the files, searching for something, Steven felt his stomach do odd twists in uneasiness. The Cluster was done, so what was she doing now?

“The Cluster is now disabled and will no longer be a threat.” Yellow Diamond said, her voice resonating deeply like a theater organ, “I will return to Homeworld shortly and Steven will come with me as agreed.”

“No.” Garnet said, her gauntlets crackling with sparks, “You will _not_.”

Amethyst shapeshifted a long hand over the seat for Steven, “Come on, dude, let’s go home.”

Steven squeaked and instinctively pushed himself closer against Yellow Diamond. He glanced at Yellow Diamond’s hands still in the interface, she could still turn the Cluster back on anytime. He was going to leave, he had to, he couldn’t let everything his mother did for Earth go to waste.

Yellow Diamond’s gem glowed out another pulse and the Crystal Gems were pushed back. 

“It would be in your best interest to leave me alone until I am finished.” she said, “Or I will change my mind about the Cluster and Steven.”

“Let him go!” Pearl screamed as she charged with her spear ready to fire, “He belongs with us!”

Inside, Steven was panicking and running around in circles, he had to do something! What to do, what to do! Steven jumped up until he stood on top of the large chair and pushed off the edge with his feet. 

“Don’t hurt her!” Steven shouted as he made his biggest shield yet, bouncing Pearl’s shots away. The gems gasped and Steven grunted as he suddenly fell down onto the floor. The shield disintegrated back into his gem. His bones rattled like a tuning fork as he stood back up on shaky feet. Note to self, don’t do that again. And especially from such a high height. Ow….

Pearl held a hand to her mouth, “Steven, your shirt….”

Steven’s shoulders hunched and rubbed his arm and looked away. He could do this. Don’t, don’t cry. He can keep it together, he didn’t want them to remember him sad when he leaves. Steven turned to the Crystal Gems again and opened his mouth to speak. If this was going to be the last time…

“Steven.” Yellow Diamond said behind him, the interface still whirring away with clicks and warbles, “What did I tell you?”

He shut his mouth with a click and winced slightly as he walked over to her side. Spears of pain bounced in his right leg. Yeah, definitely don’t fall from that height again. He stared up at Yellow Diamond, immediately registering the scrunch between her brows, the sharp jut of her jaw, and the deep creases around her frown. This was hard for her too. And he hated to see anyone upset, including her, and when she got into a bad mood. Amazonite for all of her imperfections, didn’t deserve some of Yellow Diamond’s ire. She just wanted to be the best at her job, really. 

Steven gave her the biggest smile he could manage and fumbled with the Diamond salute. Yellow Diamond glanced down at his clearly big failure and gave the faintest trace of a smile. It was a long running joke between them. Steven sighed in relief inside, at least she’s still in a good mood, because it would be awkward on the way back if she wasn’t. 

“Steven.” Garnet said, Steven turned his head to see their looks of utter despair, “You’re a Crystal Gem. It’s your destiny to protect the Earth and you have done that. The Cluster has been disabled and all Homeworld Gems have returned back to the ship. They will never return now. Everyone misses you and we want you to come home. It’s over.”

Steven glanced between Yellow Diamond and his former family. His salute faltered, he hadn’t thought it might look to them. Yellow Diamond watched Steven carefully from the corner of her eye and Steven felt the heavy weight of that gaze. He was going to fight a war like his mother did before him, and it might take another five thousand years to win. Steven’s arms shook as he strengthened his salute again, he answered them without a single sound.

Amethyst screamed in frustration and pain as she charged with her whips on fire. Steven didn’t waste a second. He made another large shield and bounced her attack away. Hey, those defensive trainings in the Pit paid off a little. Amethyst snarled as she stood up and summoned more whips. He sweated, he didn’t want to fight them. 

Pearl aimed her spear, trembling, “Don’t make us fight you, Steven.”

Steven shifted his stance into a ready stance and clenched his fists.

Garnet’s gauntlets came out of nowhere but Steven’s bubble was too quick. Steven panted as he rolled to a stop against the far wall. He blinked down at the bright pink bubble surrounding him. Wait, bubble! He had an idea…

He lowered his bubble down and opened his arms for a hug toward his former family. Steven felt the cold prickles of vulnerability on the back of his neck but he had faith they wouldn’t hurt him. At least not when completely unarmed and with no defenses. 

Steven wasn’t disappointed as the three of them rushed to his side. He basked in their group hug. Their tears stained his hair even blacker than the vacuum of space outside. Even Garnet had taken off her visors. He allowed himself to smile and return their hugs. Garnet’s hug was tight as he remembered, and he forgot Pearl used to smell like the food she cooked. Today it was the smell of a freshly baked strawberry sprinkles doughnut. His favorite! Amethyst rubbed his head with her usual playful smirk. 

Steven raised his bubble around them. Pearl raised an eyebrow but he could tell they thought he was just simply being protective. Steven gently pulled their hands away from him, asking silently for some space. He had to do it quickly or he was going to lose his nerve. Garnet gasped and pushed through Pearl and Amethyst to grab him but it was too late. 

Steven curled around himself tightly and rocked back and forward. Another bubble popped up around him as he pushed hard against the floor with his heels. Steven rolled right out of his larger bubble and gasped out breaths as the tiny bubble popped away. Now the Crystal Gems were trapped in his bubble except for him. Steven looked up at them with tears obscuring his vision as they tried to pop it from within. Steven never felt so small before.

Not even the strongest quartz soldiers could pop it.

Steven stood up and winced at the cuts and bruises he had accumulated from their fight. He hadn’t even noticed. Steven walked up to the bubble-dome and breathed on it until it turned white. He wrote something with his finger and ended it with a star. Steven waved his hand and gave a blinding smile.

A thudding step, “Let’s go home, Steven.”

Steven turned and nodded. He ran toward Yellow Diamond and jumped into her arms with a boost from the moon’s light gravity. The warmth and pure softness of her skin is what undid him. Steven burst into silent tears that trickled down his face, hot and and painful. Her hands surrounded him and he kept crying into her collarbone all the way to the entrance of the stairs. He was probably dribbling snot and tear-stains into her uniform but he honestly could care less right now. 

Steven took one last glance over Yellow Diamond’s shoulder to look at his family as they descended. His heart clenched like a fist and felt wrung as a towel at what they were doing. Opal and Garnet tried to punch their way out. A flash of light, and Sugilite swung her flail around and roared in frustration. Another flash, and Alexandrite tried to push with the whole weight of her body. Her form was twisted in such a small space and both of her mouths were twisted in a snarl. Her body glowed with light as the four gems struggled to stay together but they fell apart. Ruby slammed her fists against the wall as Sapphire pressed her eye shut. Pearl and Amethyst simply clutched each other as they cried.

Steven kept sniffling all the way to the warp pad. In a flash of blue light, both of them were whisked away. His tears floated up in the weightlessness of the warp stream as he pushed back with his arms to look up at Yellow Diamond. 

“What did you do?” Steven asked her in a small scared voice, “After you shutdown the Cluster?”

Yellow Diamond wiped his tears away from his face with a large finger, “The original plans for Earth was only completed at 5% before being disrupted by the Rebellion. I did the Crystal Gems a simple courtesy and set those structures to self destruct.”

“What?” Steven said with his eyebrows climbing to his hairline, “What!”

“The Kindergartens have been permanently dismantled and there will be no traces of them ever existing. It will be a simple cliff face from now until forever. It will be like the Homeworld invasion hadn’t even happened. The Cluster has been shattered into further pieces and they have been safely teleported onto my ship. The Crystal Gems should be reassured that there shall be no more threats to Earth’s safety. I allowed them to keep their warp pads and their corruptions and gem-mutants to keep themselves busy for the next…..well.”

Steven wiped his tears away with his arm, “Amethyst won’t be happy about the Kindergarten thing. She grew up in it, even though it was creepy and scary.” 

Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes, “I can’t please everyone, can I?”

“I guess they won’t be happy about me either.” Steven said as he stared down at his white diamond insignia, “I guess that’s really it. I won’t seeing them again.”

Yellow Diamond raised an eyebrow, “I may have left one robonoid on Earth if they ever find it. Of course it will take them at least several decades but my---no--- _our_ plans should be in motion by then. The Authority will never see you coming, Steven.”

Steven wiped away the last of his tears and clenched a fist slowly in front of him, “I’ll do it for Earth, for all the other colonies trapped, and for me. I won’t let my mom and my family down.”

Steven rested his body against her collarbone and felt the heavy fingers of sleep push his eyelids down, but he mumbled one last time, “I’m ready to go home, too.”

Down far below in the Moonbase, a message written in the fog was studied by four gems. Then the bubble popped and faded away with pink sparks. Ruby laughed and then cried but got up and helped Sapphire to her feet. The two held hands but they didn’t want to fuse, not just yet, but just _be._ Pearl patted Amethyst’s back as she huffed angrily but smiled secretly to herself. The only thought on their minds was how they were going to break it to Greg that they failed. 

_Don’t worry about me. Remember I love you and tell Dad I love him too. I’ll be fine, really, I promise! Tell Connie that we’re jam buddies forever and I’ll miss her lots. Tell everyone I love them too and will remember them. Peridot will look after me. I love you, I love you, and thank you for everything._

_Steven Quartz Universe☆_

**Author's Note:**

> many thanks to kibbles-bits' [New Home Comic](http://kibbles-bits.tumblr.com/New-Home-Comic) for inspiration!
> 
> this is what i hope to happen but might not anyways
> 
> but I've been sucked into the SU fandom due to writer's block and transferring to a new school
> 
> my life has been so busy its weird!
> 
> and the New Home comics are amazing and i love them, because serious Steven! BUT HE'S STILL SUPER CUTE AND SO IS PERIDOT!!!
> 
> Yellow Diamond is definitely a rebel and she's so cool!!!
> 
> c:


End file.
